Free Belly Fat Burning Tips

The stomach is often the hardest area to trim down for many people. While an unhealthy diet, slowing metabolism and decreased physical activity is often to blame for too much belly fat, the Mayo Clinic suggests that heredity may be the culprit. However, even if genetics do play a role in how much fat is around your middle, eating a low-fat diet and exercising will help keep the fat off.

Clean Diet

Lowering your daily caloric intake can be achieved when you eat clean, healthy foods. According to Tosca Reno, author of "The Eat Clean Diet," eating clean foods supplies your body with more vital nutrients, helping your body work more efficiently to burn more fat. Reno suggests eating five to six small meals a day of clean proteins such as chicken, turkey, fish, tofu and lean beef, and clean carbohydrates like brown rice, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eat Good Fat

According to the article "Monounsaturated Fat--Rich Diet Prevents Central Body Fat Distribution," published in the "Journal for Diabetes Care," eating monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) helps reduce belly fat. Olives, oils, nuts, seeds, avocados and dark chocolate all contain high amounts of MUFAs. In her book, "The Flat Belly Diet," author Liz Vaccariello suggests eating one MUFA in a small amount with every meal to burn belly fat.

Exercise

Combining cardiovascular and strength-training exercises will guarantee fat burning, according to the article "The Fat Burning Zone" by Jason Karp, Ph.D. Karp states that interval training, which combines cardio and strength exercises, burns the most amount of calories in the shortest amount of time and keeps the metabolic rate elevated for hours after the workout. Interval training also engages the entire core throughout the entire workout, which gives your abdominals a lean, toned look.